Divergence
by Kaleyanne
Summary: The road not taken: Ashley, Carlos, and why they didn't quite work out. Possibly a slightly different take on the Ars Amatoria theme challenge.
1. Chapter 1

**Divergence**

Author's Notes: I'm doing something a little different with my Ars Amatoria set. (At least, I hope it's different…) Instead of just writing straight-up Ashley/Carlos, I'm going to take a look at why their relationship failed. So Ashley/Carlos is the focus, yes, but plenty of these shorts will end up Andros/Ashley, with a side of supportive and not-angsty Carlos.

...Okay, maybe Carlos will be angsty. (Or angry. He's good at that.) But not because Andros 'stole' his girl or anything like that.

**Part One**_  
Theme: Youth_

Generally, Carlos didn't think of himself as good with kids. Didn't spend much time with them before becoming a ranger, but the end result of that was that he began spending a lot of time with one in particular. Which wasn't quite as lame he might have once thought it would be; it helped that Justin was rather intelligent and ever-so-slightly more used to this Power Rangers thing, but he was still, first and foremost, a twelve-year-old kid.

"You're really good with kids," Ashley told him, and that sounded a little suggestive in a roundabout way, but he was too surprised by the compliment (it was a compliment, right?) to really register that until later.

He remembered shaking his head and laughing it off as stupid. Squeezing the soccer ball in his hands to stave off the nervousness. "I don't spend a lot of time with them at all…"

"So it's just natural talent, then?" she suggested slyly, and did she wink at him and he was too dumbstruck by her pretty features to notice? "Either way, it's… really sweet of you to spend so much time with him. Unasked, I mean, not for ranger stuff."

"It's not like it's a chore or anything," Carlos said. It was fun, actually. Teaching Justin to play soccer brought back memories of when he was learning the game, and he was undeniably proud whenever Justin mastered a particular aspect of the game.

It was a good feeling.

"Oh, I know," she reassured him. "But it's not something every guy in the world would do, and I admire it."

She smiled at him then, bright and sunny, and she actually leaned a little closer. Actually leaned against his arm a little bit, and Carlos was exceptionally glad he was sitting down at their usual table in the Juice Bar.

"So, I was wondering," said Ashley, cheerfully, "if you want to do something on Saturday. I mean, I don't have any specific plans or ideas or anything really, it was just a split-second idea… If you wanted to do something, we could. Provided Divatox doesn't spring something, I mean."

"And you know she would…" Carlos muttered, before his brain actually managed to fully process the invitation. To… hang out. Which they did a lot, really. It was nothing new. Still…

"Ash, you know I'd love to," he wondered if she would mind him using that strong a word, "but Justin's got a game and I said I'd be there first. But why don't you come along? It's fun."

"Okay," she agreed. She didn't exactly sound heartbroken, and why should she? Justin was her friend, too. "Maybe Cassie and T.J. will come, too. And maybe we can all go out for ice cream afterwards?"

"Maybe. Will you let me buy you a sundae as an apology?" Carlos asked. "I feel kinda bad."

Ashley laughed. "Don't… but I won't discourage you trying to make it up to me."

"Cruel. But since I offered, I guess I'm stuck, huh?"

"Oh yeah, you're not getting rid of me that easily." She stood up and winked at him. "I'm not the kind of person who gives up just because there's something in her way. And for the record, that you had a prior commitment isn't something I'm going to hold against you. I just told you I admired you for it. See you Saturday?"

"I'll see you then."


	2. Chapter 2

**Divergence**

Author's Notes: And for the sake of my own convenience, these will probably be anachronistic. Setting is somewhere between Karone's brainwashing and the appearance of the Psychos.

**Part Two**  
_Theme: Change_

Ashley rested her cheek on Carlos's shoulder. Perhaps abruptly, but he didn't fidget or protest, so she decided not to worry. Not about that, at least; and anyway, he was the one who invited her into his room (and onto his bed) well after midnight.

She had planned to stakeout Andros's bedroom door, hoping he would emerge for a drink or a snack so she could talk to him, but truthfully, she was glad for the attention. She wanted someone to be concerned about her, taking care of her, petting her—but facts are facts, and Andros was having a much worse… well, _life_ of it, really, than Ashley had ever imagined.

"You know, I tried to connect with Andros, way back when I first found out about his sister," Carlos said, out of the blue. Ashley nodded. "See how well that turned out." An arm wrapped around her shoulders, chaste and innocent—funny, he never tried that when they were 'dating.' "Apparently, being good with kids doesn't extend to moody Red Rangers."

Ashley giggled in spite of herself. "I don't see why not—really, I'm not kidding," she added, as Carlos seemed prepared to comment. "His needs really are exactly the same as Justin's. A broken family, with the only surviving, accessible member firmly out of reach."

"Only it's Dark Specter keeping her there, not—what the hell does Justin's dad do for a living, anyway? I never asked."

"Did you ever have an opportunity?"

"Not really." He sighed. "I know it's awful of me, but sometimes I wish he came with us. Not just because I miss him, but because I think we were better parents to him than his own father."

"If not us, then the older Rangers," she agreed. "Plus, this whole saving Zordon mission—shouldn't—shouldn't it be _his_ rangers saving him? I mean, God knows, we do our best, we try our hardest, and I know we want more than anything to save him, but—I wonder," she said helplessly, "if maybe that's not enough. If Tanya were in my shoes, she would have all of that, plus love and respect for him as a mentor and father figure. I mean, we only met him once or twice, and he was certainly a presence."

"I remember Justin skipped three days of school to work with him and Alpha 5 on those Robot Rangers," Carlos said. "I think he slept in the Power Chamber at least one of those nights, as well. When we got the transmission announcing the visit, he was thrilled." The arm around her tightened briefly. "But Ash, we're… well, we're here." He sighed again. "We're here, and that's that."

"I guess we have to trust that we wouldn't be here if we couldn't handle it," said Ashley.

"I wouldn't go that far," and his tone was oddly cynical. What a change from the confident-to-a-fault soccer player she first met. In a way, Ashley mourned the metamorphosis; Carlos had become a team player, but, conversely, he was more and more of a loner, the voice of dissent, and seemed almost out of touch sometimes. (A fire extinguisher, for heaven's sake.) But she thought some arrogant bravado might boost their collective morale.

_Whatever happened to the man I fell in… high school crush with? _Ashley thought, darkly amused. _Cassie likes tall, dark and mysterious; I thought I liked strong, heroic, perfect everymen; maybe I'm just attracted to dysfunctional loners._ Andros was a loner for life, Zhane not withstanding; Carlos was becoming one… Impulsively, she twisted—she might have elbowed Carlos a bit, judging by his groan—and wrapped him up tightly in a hug, before settling back down against him.

"This is nice," Carlos mumbled, after a few minutes. He sounded sleepy.

Ashley smiled. It was.


End file.
